James Blake – Enough Thunder **First Listen**

James Blake has been blowing me away since I first heard “Wilhelm Scream” early last year.  Since then he’s been amazing me with his amalgamation of minimalist, post-dubstep, and r&b stylings.  His sorrowful falsetto is the perfect counterpart to his distinct glitchy reverbed percussion that he uses on the majority of his tracks.  He is easily one the best new artists (nominated for 2011 Mercury Prize a.k.a. the Grammys of The UK but better because its not in America) and continues to impress the blogosphere with his excellent productions and mixes.  I’m really into the whole post-dubstep movement and the new bass music sounds that are coming out of the UK right now (see: PostDubstep Tumblr) and James Blake is one of the defining artists in this movement and alot of what we are seeing are reflections of his sound.  It is a wonderful place we live in where artists can be immediately influential in the music world.

I’ve been wanting to post about James Blake for a grip now, and the fact that he’s preparing his new album is a damn good reason to continue building the hype about this guy.  He’s collaborated with one of my favorite voices/songwriters in the whole world, Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon, for a track on the upcoming album.  This track “Fall Creek Boys Choir” is just a clue as to what this new album will be like, and its a huge tease.  The full track list has been released and the album is to be called Enough Thunder.  (Get the deets HERE)This song really illustrates the innovation that James Blake exudes and I sincerely hope that he continues to create new sounds and produce music of the high quality that he has in the past.

If you have never heard James Blake, please check him out.  He’s creating extremely intelligent music with a flavor that he’s made all his own, and not surprisingly he’s the best at what he does.

Wilhem’s Scream

Unluck

Limit to Your Love (Feist Cover)

Fall Creek Boys Choir

A Millie (Harmonimix Remix) *Harmonimix is James Blake’s remix/Dj moniker*

VIDEOS

**First Listen**  James Blake – Enough Thunder 320kbps

1. Once We All Agree

2. We Might Feel Unsound

3.  Fall Creek Boys Choir

4.  A Case of You

5. Not Long Now

6.  Enough Thunder

 

Thanks and Enjoy and Thanks

Yellow Ostrich

Yellow Ostrich came to my attention while scouring the interwebz for material for the Brain Salad compilations.  I first came across “WHALE” which is a track that starts simply with just some looped vocals and percussion.  Lead singer and project mastermind Alex Schaff chimes in with his juvenile and playful voice that he decorates really really well with some light distortion.  This adds a really nice grainy, yellowish touch to the music.  For the most part, Schaff writes songs that form around looped vocals of some sort, typically densely harmonized as well.  His latest release, Mistress, comes after two EP’s – The Morgan Freeman EP, and Fade Cave EP.  All of these releases are good, and if you’re into movies and pop culture as much as you are into good music, I highly suggest checking out The Morgan Freeman EP.  It is exactly what you might assume it not to be: a collection of songs about or directly relating to Morgan Freeman.  Its incredibly entertaining and it really gives you a good idea about what Yellow Ostrich is all about.  Other highlights include “Hahahaohhoho” off The Mistress  and “Getting Lost/Staying Lost” from the Fade Cave EP.  I really really like what Yellow Ostrich has going on, and they’ll  be doing a string of dates with Ra Ra Riot, so that would just be an excellent show.  So try and catch them if they’re around.  They’re playing an excellent ACL Fest this weekend.  And I don’t want to talk about how I’m not there.  xx

“Whale”

“Hahahaohhoho”

“Get Lost/Staying Lost”

“Morgan Freeman’s Selected Filmography”

He also has a couple of wonderful covers that you will probably (hopefully) enjoy.

“King of Spain” – Tallest Man on Earth cover

“Don’t Haunt this Place” – The Rural Alberta Advantage cover

Thanks and enjoy and thanks.

Brain Salad – September

Brain Salad – September

**Free Download**

It’s been said that salad is the only thing that beavers are afraid of.  While that is undoubtedly fact, this salad is nothing to be afraid of unless you’re a beaver that also hates nice sounding things.  In that case, I’m amazed at your ability to use the internet seeing as you’re a beaver, and less concerned about whether you enjoyed the mix.  Anyways, this mix was kind of thrown together from the songs I’ve been listening to all month, and a couple late additions to make up for the plethora of new albums that are coming out or have leaked.  The first song, “Bubble”  come from Mercury Prize 2011 nominee King Creosote and Jon Hopkins.  This is a soft interesting number that has sparse percussion that keeps the songs rolling along at a comfortable pace.  Next is “WHALE” from brooklyn indie-folkers Yellow Ostrich.  I’ve just discovered these guys and found them to have a number of well done covers (including a Tallest Man “King of Spain” cover that really made me smile).  Check it out if you enjoy that sort of thing.  The song “Pineapple Girl”  from Mister Heavenly, is a fun track that reminds me of Dale Earnhardt jr. jr. with a little less manners.   “Suffragette Suffragette” from Everything Everything is a electric guitar led number that has very Two Door Cinema Club esque breaks and rhythm.  Also they pose the age old question of “Who’s going to sit on your face when I’m gone?” (jksc)  Yacht brings us an very nice synth pop anthem with “Dystopia”.  ”Serve the People” from The Handsome Furs (Sub Pop) is such a great song that I really am at a loss of words about it.  I saw the duo perform this live and i think the emotion associated with my memory of that show are clouding me from making objective statements about it.  so yeah. listen.  Next is the fully electronic slash EDM section of the mix, with new songs from CSS and M83.  Finally some nice crunchy filth to end out the mix with “All Nite” and “Happy Violence”.   Pleeze pleeze enjoy this music and spread it amongst the masses that deserve to hear it.  and continue to have fun/be safe.

**Click below to download**

http://www.mediafire.com/?4aatjg91d47b8qt

**Tracklist**

1. Bubble – King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
2. WHALE – Yellow Ostrich
3. Feel My Shadow – Malemute
4. Pineapple Girl – Mister Heavenly
5. Shuffle – Bombay Bicycle Club
6. Suffragette Suffragette – Everything Everything
7. The Look – Metronomy
8. Penthouse Suites – Wise Blood
9. Dystopia – Yacht
10. Serve the People – Handsome Furs
11. Come Back to Me – The Rapture
12. Hit Me Like A Rock – CSS
13. Charisma of the Sun – Tygerstrype
14. OK Pal – M83
15. All Nite – Rustie
16. Happy Violence – Dada Life

Thanks and enjoy and thanks.